Primary Navigation

Do you know Napa?

What I love about wine is its diversity and so much to him to help us discover the world!

Have you ever gone for a trip in the Napa Valley in California? One of the largest wine regions of the United States!

Let’s go together !

The wine trail in Napa for a sunny Saturday.

The sky is blue, the clouds do not exist, we drive behind the wheel of our car, “Goodnight Moon” Shivaree cradling our ears while going up the Silverado Trail linking St. Helena Napa, the wineries along the parade road. Where to stop?

Suddenly appears a temple on the left, taken by curiosity we stop: Welcome to Darioush winery!

We climb the stairs, and as we enter, we stumble upon the world of kitsch and the original. We visit the tasting room, trinkets galore are enthroned here and there, and two people quietly are discussing near the fire place. The bar is at the center, which is where we are heading and begin a discussion with Paloma. Once she distributes the menu, she makes us taste the drink of this Persian temple that remains typical of Napa with its powerful and sweet, alcohol that invades our palates and gives rise to the heat in our cheeks.

For the record, Darioush Khaledi grew up in the land of Shiraz (Iran) from a producer and wine enthusiast father. An engineer, he immigrated to the United States in the ‘70s to live the “American Dream.” He bought with his brother a bankrupt grocer in Los Angeles. Today they have more than a thriving business with over 1,500 employees!

Meanwhile, Darioush became a collector of fine wines from around the world. With his growing passion, he realized his dream in 1997 by founding Darioush winery with his wife. Obviously, being Persian, the winery must remember its origins, which it does, but between us, it comes across as more of a “fake”: It was more like being at Disneyland than being in Persepolis!

The visit is very enjoyable and fun!

We take the car and continue to back up the road; we stop to shop in the charming town of St. Helena, and then, at the exit of the city, we see the distance on our left, a castle. We are no longer in the “fake” this time but really in the real!

Are you like me and love Tuscany and old stones?

Have you ever lived in a country of the new world where the old stones just do not exist?

If you miss the old world, you should have a look at Castello di Amorosa (Castle of Love in English). It is located on Highway 29 between St. Helena and Calistoga.

No, you haven’t stepped into some dream. Castello di Amorosa is a Tuscan style castle built by an American, Dario Sattui, fascinated by medieval times. He worked on this project for 30 years of his life. It took 15 years of work to bring it up according to the rules of architecture as they did 700-800 years ago !

One million ancient bricks were imported from Europe!

So it is a castle, a real one!

But it’s also a winery and with its vineyards around the castle. There are 107 rooms at Castello di Amorosa, each different from one another, and it is possible to spend the night!

In short, it is a must in Napa, a great success and it appears, the wines are excellent!

To visit it is here:

So what do you think of our little getaway in the American West?

For those who do not know, Napa is located less than an hour drive from San Francisco, a city well worth a look !

Cheers to Napa and wine!

Remember wine is fun and can be a great companion as we discover new places and become more knowledgeable!